Take a hike
Colorful fall treks for all skill levels
We’d been walking for an hour uphill before we arrived at
the access road we’d started on. “I think,” said my boyfriend, “that we just
walked in a big circle.” He gave a little smile, which I wiped off with a swift
kick to the ass. Well, not really, but I should have.
But it’s not his fault really. It’s more the fault of the
terrain, or God, or a little of both depending on your spiritual inclinations.
Having lived in the mountains in Japan for two years (in an area
known as the Japanese Alps, and yes, it was that cool), I can say the real joy
of hiking is walking uphill. Straight uphill for a long time,
right into the clouds — over the clouds, in fact. But I’m
romanticizing (ever notice how a place seems perfect only after you’ve left it behind?).
What I’m trying to say is that such uphill adventures are
limited, if impossible, in these parts. The next best thing, it seems, is to go
’round and ’round. Difficulty is a matter of measuring how many times you go up
and down and, if it’s raining, the quality and quantity of moss on the rocks.
This being the standard, I can say that Naples’ Hi
Tor Wildlife Management Area‘s orange hike is indeed treacherous terrain
— especially on a drizzly day. Fall foliage here should be astounding. In
fact, during our four-hour summer trek (which included the going-in-circles
mishap) I managed to find one brilliantly red leaf — a sure indicator of good
things to come. Oddly I didn’t see any wildlife except for the back end of
something resembling a groundhog, a blue heron, and a large, unidentifiable
flesh-eating bug.
The hike features two scenic overlooks, and for at least a
mile along our hike I could hear the rushing gorge somewhere off to the left.
Unfortunately, by the time it materialized I could cross it in one step.
In reality, Hi Tor can be divided into two hikes: one
relatively difficult and another that you could take your 80-year-old grandma
on. But those with bad knees should be forewarned: the latter half is a long
yet gradual descent. From our hike, it appeared possible to park on Brink Road and just
do the latter hike. For those who do the longer hike, the trail will loop you
right back to your car (gotta love circles). The
truly adventurous should try walking the entire Finger Lakes Trail system. It
spans more than 500 miles, plus about 250 miles of branch trails, including Hi
Tor.
But I will say this: my short five-mile or so hike gave me
blisters on each pinky toe and sore legs. Awesome.
The easiest way to get to Hi Tor is to take Route 90 to the
Canandaigua exit (44), turn right onto 332 and take it through town until you
reach the intersection of routes 5 and 20. Turn right and, after about a mile,
turn left onto Route 21. Drive through Naples
and turn left at the fork in the road. This will put you on Route 53. Drive for
a little over a mile, and then turn left onto County Road 21. Follow this for
about two miles, and then take a left onto Bassett Road, also the entrance to Hi
Tor. Drive for less than half a mile until you see a parking area on your left.
Park and walk along the access road until you connect up to the orange trail.
For those who choose to stay in the area, there is life outside of MendonPondsPark. It’s in Ogden and in the shape of
a bird with a huge backend. Northampton
Park’s Creek Trail is a meandering path chock full of everything green
(hopefully red, orange, and yellow come fall), a startled deer, and those funky
birds. And, to top it all off, you could probably walk it in your bedroom
slippers. Spring Creek babbles off to the side, and tall trees line the trail.
While Creek Trail winds in a 1.3 mile loop, it is possible
to cross over Spring Creek (heading west) and connect up to the Farm Trail.
Those who choose this path will have to descend one steep little hill (for this
I advise against the bedroom slippers), but otherwise it’s slow going. The Farm
Trail runs next to cornfields owned by Springdale Farm, and for those in the
mood for a break, there’s a picnic table hidden in the trees.
Walkers can complete the loop and reconnect to the southern
end of Creek Trail to finish off the hike, or take the trail to Springdale Farm
— an agriculture education facility with several farm animals.
To get to Northampton
take Route 490W to Route 531W. Take a left on Washington Street (Route 36), followed by
a right on Colby Street.
For the Creek Trail, park at the yellow gate near the cemetery. The trail
entrance is across the street. Visitors can access the Farm Trail by parking
further down the road at Springdale.
For more information, visit the county website at: www.monroecounty.gov/parks-northampton.php.
To leave the city without really leaving the city, visit Tryon
Park in the Browncroft area. It’s a place full of
surprises, from the lush green foliage and steep ravines to an errant tire or
two. But there’s something about this park, something raw and appealing, an
in-your-face statement: you can’t really leave Rochester, so here it is. With the 490
overpass a stone’s throw away, literally, you might wind up, as we did this
last time, next to the freeway. I’d like to say the earth trembled.
Unfortunately, I would be embellishing. But what’s neat is that after walking
for five more minutes, 490 disappears. You can’t even
hear the cars. It’s eerie.
Tryon is also full of branching paths, several of which lead
to the marshes surrounding IrondequoitBay — or through them,
depending on the rain. There’s rarely more than a
handful of hikers here, and Tryon is one of the few parks in the area where
you’ll see mountain bikers. Very cool. Be careful,
though, not to end up in somebody’s backyard. Houses abut paths, and only an
ominous “Beware of Dog” poster indicated signs of life up ahead on our most
recent walk.
According to my incredibly stringent difficulty ratings, I
would say Tryon falls somewhere between Northampton
and Hi Tor. It’s rugged terrain, steep in parts, and generally narrow and
winding.
To get there, take Tryon Road, a
dead-end residential street off North
Winton Road. Go to the end of the road and park.
Tryon is right in front of you. For more information, visit the county website
at www.monroecounty.gov/parks-tryon.php.
This article appears in Sep 20-26, 2006.
